West Virginia Death Records

West Virginia has one of the highest death rates in the United States and one of the lowest life expectancies in the country. The leading causes of death remain heart disease, accidents, and cancer. At an age-adjusted mortality rate of 1,079.2 per 100,000 residents, West Virginia's death rate is notably higher than the national average of 805.6 per 100,000 total population. The state registers an average of 26,243 deaths annually.

Some West Virginia counties started keeping records of deaths in 1853 when the state was still a part of Virginia. Statewide recording of deaths did not begin until 1917. The paramount death record in the state is the death certificate. It contains important facts about death, including the deceased's personal information, the place of death, the date of death, and the cause of death. When someone dies in West Virginia, the original death certificate must be filed with the State's Vital Registration Office, where eligible persons can obtain certified copies. A certified copy of a death certificate is a replica of the original document that has been verified by an authorized government agency.

In West Virginia, the funeral director or anyone who assumes custody of a deceased's body is responsible for preparing the original death certificate. They typically obtain the decedent's personal information from the best-qualified individual or source to complete the death certificate, after which it is given to a physician to complete the medical certification as required by Section 16-5-19 of the state's Code. Once the death is certified, the funeral director will file the original death certificate with the West Virginia Vital Registration Office for recording.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in West Virginia?

In West Virginia, the Vital Registration Office of the state's Department of Health issues certified copies of death certificates for death events that occur in the state. Certified copies of any death certificate in the state may be obtained by mail or in person.

• Request a Certified Copy of a West Virginia Death Certificate By Mail - Eligible persons may take the following steps to get certified copies of a death certificate by mail:

  • Print and fill out the Application for Copy of West Virginia Death Certificate.
  • Prepare a color copy of a valid ID. The Vital Registration Office accepts state-issued driver's licenses, military IDs, U.S. or foreign passports, and photo identification cards from any government-sponsored program. Alternatively, any two from a motor vehicle registration card, a major credit card bearing the holder's photo, a recent utility bill in the requester's name, or a state social services program card may be used for identification.
  • Pay a certificate cost of $12 for each copy of the death certificate requested. This fee includes a non-refundable search fee and may be paid by check or money order made out to Vital Registration.

  • Mail the completed application form, payment, and a copy of identification to the Vital Registration Office at:

    West Virginia Vital Registration Office

    350 Capitol Street, Room 165

    Charleston, WV 25301-3701

    A certified copy of a West Virginia death certificate ordered by mail is typically processed within one to three weeks. Note that the Vital Registration Office does not accept debit or credit card payments for mail-in orders.

• Request a Certified Copy of a West Virginia Death Certificate in Person - An eligible person may submit an in-person order for a certified copy of a death certificate in West Virginia at the Vital Registration Office located at 350 Capitol Street in Charleston. The walk-up counter is on the right side of the main lobby. After submitting the completed application form and a copy of ID, the requester should allow at least 15 minutes for the attending employee to process the application. The required $12 fee per copy of the requested certificate can be paid by check, money order, or cash.

  The period between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. is usually the busiest at the Vital Registration Office. As a result, anyone submitting a request for certified copies of a West Virginia death certificate within this period should allow for a longer wait time. Generally, the Vital Registration Office offers same-day service for in-person requests submitted at the walk-up counter.

Are West Virginia Death Records Public?

Unless it is at least 50 years old, a West Virginia death record is a confidential document and not publicly accessible. As a result, access to death records in the state is restricted to only eligible persons for the first 50 years after the death of individuals named on such records. Per Section 16-5-27 of the West Virginia Code, unless by order of a court of competent jurisdiction or legislative rule, it is unlawful to publicly disclose records of death events that occurred less than 50 years ago in the state. This is specifically done to protect the integrity and ensure the proper use of death records.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in West Virginia?

No person may request an original death certificate in West Virginia because all original death certificates in the state are permanently filed with the Vital Registration Office. However, while death certificates are generally confidential documents for 50 years after the date of death, certain individuals and entities are authorized by state law to access and request certified copies. These persons include the following:

• Spouse of the deceased person.
• The decedent's parents and grandparents.
• The Decedent's adult siblings.
• The decedent's adult children and grandchildren.
• Funeral director.
• The decedent's legal guardian.
• The informant whose name is listed on the death certificate.
• Legal representatives of eligible individuals or authorized government agencies.
• Any other individual who can demonstrate a direct or tangible interest in the death certificate (with proof).

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in West Virginia?

The time it takes to obtain a certified copy of a death certificate in West Virginia varies depending on some factors. One of them is the ordering method. If a person requests a certified copy of a death certificate from the Vital Registration Office by mail, it may take up to 3 weeks to get it. On the other hand, if the same copy is ordered in person, it can be processed and obtained on the same day. These timelines are for death events whose original certificates have been filed with the West Virginia Vital Registration Office.

Where a death circumstance requires an autopsy owing to the suspicious nature of death, it can take a longer time before the final and original death certificate is filed. In other words, until a death certificate is filed with the state's Vital Registration Office, certified copies containing the cause of death will not be available for purchase. In West Virginia, it takes about 8 months before the complete report of a typical autopsy is ready, and until the report is available, the Medical Examiner cannot prepare a final death certificate.

When an autopsy is required to determine the cause of death in West Virginia, the delay encountered in having a complete autopsy report ready generally impacts how long it takes to get a certified copy of the death certificate after the deceased's death. In most cases, this takes several months, and the timeline typically depends on the complexity of a case and the need for other forensic tests.

Can I View West Virginia Death Records Online for Free?

Members of the public may view some digitized and indexed death records online free of charge in West Virginia through the State Archives and History system. The system typically has scanned images of the original death records available in the Archives. Anyone may look up a historic death record in the state through this system using the decedent's name, year of death, and/or the county of death as the search criteria. Alternatively, other online platforms like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org have name indexes of West Virginia death records for certain years.

Furthermore, anyone intending to access publicly available death records in the state online may consider using the service of a reliable third-party record website like WestVirginiapublicrecords.us. These websites generally charge users a small fee to enable them to have access to most publicly available death records in the state.

If anyone needs to find death information regarding a death event in West Virginia through other means, substitute records readily come to mind. Such information may be retrieved at no cost. Examples of substitute records that may contain death information in the state are cemetery records, obituaries, tax records, church records, burial permits, newspapers, probate records, and funeral home records. Others include mortuary records, military records, city directories, hospital records, and pension records.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in West Virginia?

When someone dies in West Virginia, the loved ones would certainly need copies (certified copies) of the death certificate for several purposes. Certified copies of a death certificate are required for the following administrative and legal purposes in the state:

• Notifying the Social Security Administration (SSA) about someone's death to enable them to update their records, stop payments of benefits to the deceased, and start paying survivors such benefits, where applicable.
• Notifying credit unions, banks, and other financial institutions about a person's death and closing the decedent's accounts.
• Informing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about a person's death and filing a final tax return for the deceased.
• Filing life insurance claims with the decedent's insurance company.
• Filing paperwork with a deceased person's employer and pension provider to inform them to stop paying employment benefits to the decedent's account and start paying their survivors. Such benefits include pensions, veteran benefits, and other retirement benefits.
• Canceling a deceased person's credit cards and subscription to utility services, including telephone services.
• Making funeral arrangements.
• Transferring the ownership of a decedent's property to another person.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in West Virginia?

It is best to request a minimum of eight certified copies of a death certificate in West Virginia when a loved one passes away. Although experts often recommend 8 to 12 copies, the actual number of copies needed largely depends on the purposes for which they are required and the number of government agencies or private institutions that need them. Before requesting certified copies of a West Virginia death certificate from the state's Vital Registration Office, it will help to write a list of entities requiring a copy. Once the number is determined, add a few extra for unforeseen contingencies and at least one copy for personal safekeeping.